


I Learned It From You

by Ghostinthehouse



Series: Demon and Angel Professors [165]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Queer Guardian Angel Aziraphale (Good Omens), Queer Guardian Demon Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 13:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30106788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostinthehouse/pseuds/Ghostinthehouse
Summary: Sometimes you toss a pebble in the duckpond and the ripples go on forever.One Shot
Relationships: Warlock Dowling/Adam Young
Series: Demon and Angel Professors [165]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1412962
Comments: 75
Kudos: 476





	I Learned It From You

Inheritance isn't always a genetic thing. Sometimes it's learned. Sometimes you toss a pebble in the duckpond and the ripples go on forever.

#

Eve hits a breakthrough in her food research lab, and her colleagues ask her why she chose to use the overlooked option that led to it.

Eve just shrugs. "I learned in college that sometimes things are more than they seem at first. I thought it was worth a try."

#

Luc braces emself when ey notice a customer staring at eir pronoun pin, stiffening eir spine to remind emself of Dr Crowley's quiet certainty over gender. The customer in question, who can't be more than a few years younger than ey are, finally chooses a greetings card and brings it over to the till.

As Luc rings up the purchase, the staring customer asks softly, "I like your pronoun pin - do you know where I can get one like it?"

The tension eases from Luc's shoulders as ey grin as one genderqueer person to another and give directions to the source.

#

Jo makes a habit of gender neutral speech, particularly around their patients, remembering how their professors doing the same made them feel safer and more welcome without requiring them to be out about their gender and pronouns.

#

Matt won't stand for bullying in the school he teaches at, and whenever he offers his queer students a quiet sanctuary, he remembers Dr Crowley shooing him and his then boyfriend into the safety of his office.

#

Paul works to both deradicalise kids, and fight with a fanatical intensity (as if to make amends for his younger self) for people's rights.

#

B recognises the dull despair in a teenager's eyes, when they're standing on the brink of a river. She pulls them back onto the path, and sees the dawning recognition on their face that she'd felt when she first met Dr Crowley.

The kid looks at her as if she's the living goddess of enduring this life, and chokes out, "You get it, don't you?"

B glances at the river. It would be so easy to slide in and drift away and never have to deal with any of this ever again, but there's still a slice of her favourite cake waiting for her at home, she hasn't finished the good tea Izzie gave her for her birthday, and the fic she's following updates this weekend. Little things, but if she's learned anything, it's that little things matter as much as anything else. "Yeah," she says, "I get it. You want a cup of tea, kid?"

"What _is_ it about tea that everyone thinks it'll fix anything?"

B can't help but smile wryly. "Oh," she says. "That's a long story."

#

"Are you the gardener?"

Warlock slides the trayload of plantpots onto the garden centre shelf and glances over at the youngster. "I work here," they temporise. "Why?"

The kid shrugs. "I like the plants?" Then, softer, as if it slips out without them realising, "Reminds me of home."

"Miss it, do you?" Warlock asks, their casual tone hiding the ache of old memories.

"Just the garden." The kid's face closes up tight.

Warlock doesn't push. "I've always been fond of gardens," they say instead. "Married my husband in one, and all."

A glance shows them awe and reverence on the kid's face, as if some rare and precious creature had just suddenly shown up in front of them. A wry smile tugs at the corners of Warlock's mouth as they realise that this kid was looking at them the way they had looked at Crowley. An eye-opening realisation that older queer people actually existed. "New around here, are you?"

The kid stares a moment longer, then nods jerkily and bolts.

Warlck gazes after them for a moment, then shrugs and gets on with their day. If looking after younger queer folk is the main thing they have inherited, in some non-standard way, from their guardians, then so be it. Somebody has to, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at https://ineffableghost.tumblr.com/
> 
> (This is not THE ending of this series. But it is AN ending.)


End file.
